William duchemin



(No Model.) y y W. .D-UGHBMIN.

SAFETY VALVE. N. 259,109. Patented June 6,-1882..

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UNITED 4STATES PATENT OEEICE.`

WILLIAM DUGHEMIN,

W. DONIHUE, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,109, dated @Tune 6,'1882.

A Application filed May 1, 1889. (No model.)

safety valves for barrels or casks containing light ales or beer, which remains effervescent until it is entirely drawn from the barrel or cask, the effervescence of the liquid being de- .pended upon to force it from the cask and give itthe required briskness or life while it is being consumed. This class of ale or beer contains a percentage of a substance known as yeast, whichis in a constant state of fermentation, and gives the liquid the briskness or life before mentioned. This yeast is of a viscid or glutinous nature, and in fermentation the gas arising from it in globules or bubbles is inclosed in viscid globularl envelopes composed of the yeast, and these inclosed globules, accumulating on the surface of the liquid, constitute a tough ropy substance or froth,vfrom which the gas cannot escape independently by reason of the toughness of the yeastymatter, so that the gas can only escapein the form in which it accumulates in the cask or` barrelt'. e., inclosed in the globular envelopes of yeast.

In all automatic valves for permitting the escape of gas from beer casks or barrels heretofore used the construction has been such as to provide no adequate means for the passage of the froth orV inclosed gasglobules above mentioned, the passages provided for the escape of gas in such valves being so narrow and contracted that they become cloggedor choked, and consequently inoperative, by the tough pasty matter.

' My invention has for its object -to effect certain improvements in the construction of automatic outwardly-opening valves for beer barrels or casks, whereby the inclosed gas-globules can readily escape without clogging or choking the passages in the valve, and without involving escape or waste'of the liquid; and to these ends it consists in the details of scribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a valve embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a section on line s-s, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in both figures.

In the drawings, a represents the valve-casing, which is tubular, and is provided at its inner end with an outwardly-projecting Harige, 6o

7c.V The outersurface of the casingais threaded at its lower end above the flange lo, and said' ange is grooved toreceive a packing-ring, m. The casing is applied to the head of a barrel by screwing it from the inside into a hole made in the head until the flange 7c bears against the inner side of the-head, the pack- -in g-rin g on being compressed by this operation and making a tight joint, The length of the casing isrless than the thickness of the bar- 7o rel-head, so that room is afforded for the insertion of a threaded cap or cover, t, into the outer end of the hole in the head, said cap being flush with the outer surface of the head and provided with two or more apertures, un, 7 5 extending through it. The casin g is provided at its interior, near the lower end, with an annular valve-seat, b2, which is elevated above the level of the upper surface of the flange 7o.

c represents the valve, which is a disk of 8o metal arranged to rest upon the seat b2, and provided, preferably on its lower surface, with a rubber facing or washer. The valve is provided with an upwardly-projecting stem, c', which passes through and slides freely in an orifice in a guide or nut, d, which is screwed into the upper end of the casing a. The stein 'c' is hollow or tubular, having a cavity, j', eX- tending from its upper end to a point below the guide d, where it is provided with several 9o orifices, h, which connect the interior or hollow portion of the stem with the interior of the casing c.

The lower portion of the interior of the casing a, above the valve-seat b2, is provided with 95. recesses o, arranged around the valve and constitutingpassage-ways around the periphery of the valve whenthe latter is lifted.

e represents the spiral spring which holds the valve down. This spring surrounds the roo stem c, and bears at one end against the valve and at its other end against the guide or nut d.

When the valve is lifted by pressure from within the barrel apassage is created through the valve and casing, said passage being composed of the space between the valve and its seat, the recesses t, the annular space between the casing and the stein c', the orifices h, and the cavity fot' the stem. These parts or elements are all proportioned so that the area or passage-way ai'orded by either of them will be about equal to the area of the opening bounded by the valve-seat b2. Hence the viscid accumulation or froth described is ena-bled to pass through the valve, until it escapes at the npper end ofthe stem c', without clogging or obstructing the valve.

The provision ot' the ilange k and the arrangement of the valve-seat b2 above the level of the upper side of said ange insure the elevation of the valve and valve-seat above the under side ofthe head of the eask or barrel, and therefore above the liquid contained therein, so that none ot the liquid will be forced out by the pressure ot' the gas or frothy matter, as would be the case if the seat projected below the head ot the cask when the latter is full.

rlhe cap or cover t, screwed into the outer end of the hole in the head of the barrel, prevents the entrance ot" dirt into the cavity f.

The orifices n u in said cap permit the escape ot' Igas, and also receive the prongs of a wrench whereby the cap is screwed in and out.

I claim- 1. In an automatic safety-valve, the combiby a spring, e, all arranged and operating as .t5

and for the purpose specified.

2. The valve c, havin g the hollow perforated stem c, combined with the tubular casing a, having the valve-seat b2, recesses o, and guide or nut d, and the spring e, arranged between the nut d and valve c, all as set forth.

In a safety-valve for beer-barrels having a spring-valve, c, the tubular easing a, having the dan ge 7c and the valveseat b2 elevated above the upper side of said tlange, whereby the valve and valve-seat are prevented from projecting downwardly into the barrel, as set forth.

4. The combination, with a barrel or eask head, ot' the ,casing a, screwed into a hole in the head, and provided with the spring-valve having the hollow perforated stem, and the cap or cover t. screwed into the outer end of said hole, and provided with orifices ln n for the escape of gas and for the application ofa wrench, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, this 26th day of April, 1882.

WILL M. D UGHEMIN.

IWitnesses:

U. iF. BROWN., A. L. WHITE. 

